Watford 0 Burnley 1

WHAT a difference a goal makes!

This was threatening to turn into another of those frustrating afternoons for Ian Moore, whose blood levels must have been slowly simmering in the soaring temperatures.

But just after the hour mark, it suddenly became fun in the sun for the striker as he found the back of the net for only the second time in 13 games to earn the Clarets their first win of the season.

Suddenly, the old Ian Moore was right back in the groove - running at opponents, nutmegging defenders and generally causing mayhem in the opposition ranks.

Self-belief is a marvellous thing, and the Clarets joint-record £1m signing is honest enough to admit a lack of that vital ingredient sometimes leaves him carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

If only he could bottle the confidence coursing through his veins in the closing half hour at Vicarage Road, what a difference it could make to player and club.

However, if Moore keeps coming up with priceless strikes such as this, you won't find anyone - least of all new boss Steve Cotterill - complaining.

The last time Moore registered on the scoresheet, it came in the final seconds of last March's nail-biting game at Bradford to give Stan Ternent's relegation-threatened side a crucial 2-1 win.

And his opening strike of this campaign will surely have given Cotterill's Clarets a huge lift ahead of two tough-looking fixtures against Wolves and West Ham United.

But for now, just read the stats and smile. Three games, one goal conceded, still unbeaten and a start to the season every Clarets fan can savour.

Retrospectively, Burnley could easily have won all three matches. Clear goalscoring chances have been at a premium, but with a defence this watertight, one goal is always going to give Burnley a chance of nicking all three points.

And so it proved third time lucky.

Unsurprisingly, Cotterill stood by the tried and tested 4-1-4-1 formation that so frustrates their opponents and left Watford the latest victims.

With livewire striker Danny Webber alongside Bruce Dyer, this looked a tougher test on paper than Rotherham provided in midweek, but both dangermen were nullified to the extent that they became bit-part players for the hosts.

Step forward John McGreal and, in particular Frank Sinclair, who was magnificent in matching anything the Hornets duo had up their sleeves.

And ably assisted by full backs Michael Duff and Mo Camara - who had one of his best games in a Burnley shirt - the defence built a platform on which the Clarets carried the game to the Hornets.

Robbie Blake should really have opened his account for the season as early as the 19th minute after a spell of wing-wizardry from Moore, who latched onto a thrown-in, swivelled and hooked in a delivery of Premiership class.

Blake lost his marker with ease, but incredibly glanced his free header wide of the far post from just six yards out. Six minutes before the break in a lacklustre opening half, it was Sinclair's turn to miss a sitter, bulleting a free header wide of goal from Tony Grant's perfectly flighted corner.

Those two gilt-edged chances were the main topic of conversation in the stands at half time - and yours truly got the Watford take in no uncertain terms.

The pathway to the press room behind the main stand at Vicarage Road passes directly beneath the home side's dressing room window, where the language pouring out would have made Chubby Brown blush.

Home manager Ray Lewington was apoplectic at the two free headers Burnley were allowed and demanded an improvement.

Clearly stung, this had the desired effect straight from the restart as Watford put the visitors under pressure with a brief bombardment.

Danny Coyne was called upon for the only time to smother a dipping Paul Mayo free kick and, from a corner shortly afterwards, Brynjar Gunnarsson flashed a header just over the angle.

But the Clarets weathered the storm and, influenced by the workrate of former Watford favourite Micah Hyde, started to take a real stranglehold of the game.

Hyde got the ball rolling with a low drive that Richard Lee held well, but the young keeper was blowing his cheeks in relief in the 57th minute when Blake's clever reverse ball released Richard Chaplow, who drove the ball agonisingly wide from 18-yards.

But after Tony Grant tried his luck from distance, Burnley finally made the deserved breakthrough in the 64th minute. Coyne's long kick was headed on for the umpteenth time by Graham Branch and suddenly Blake found himself with just Lee to beat.

The Clarets skipper unleashed a stunning volley that seemed destined for the top corner, only for Lee to make an unbelievable save with his right glove.

However, the deflection ballooned the ball skywards and when it dropped after an age, Moore beat both Blake and Chaplow to the loose ball to head past the keeper's despairing dive and send 942 Clarets fans wild.

Blake soon had a great chance to double the lead, this time chesting down Camara's superb cross and seeing his attempted header over advancing keeper Lee clawed for a corner.

And that miss almost proved costly as sub Heidar Helguson latched onto a dangerous deep cross, but blazed over the angle from six yards with just Coyne to beat.

However, Moore carried Burnley over the line, making a series of darting runs that relieved the pressure and eventually led to Neil Cox unceremoniously upending him to earn a yellow card.

Undeterred, he set off on one last mazy gallop to tee-up Blake, who was again denied by Lee's agility.

But this was to be Moore's day - and the difference was there for all to see!

Attendance: 12,048

Scorer: Moore (64)

Watford: Lee, Mayo, Cox, Chambers, Darlington, Ardley (Young 61), Gunnarsson, Mahon, Devlin (Bouazza 67), Dyer (Helguson 55), Webber. Not used: Chamberlain, Blizzard.

Ref: Ray Olivier. No complaints. 8

Yellow cards: Sinclair 73, Cox 90